School Surveys on Alcohol Use in Turkey: Are They Policy Oriented?

Abstract

Public Health research should aim to influence policies, and therefore researchers should determine the issues and highlight the salient problems and possible solutions in their area of interest. It is suggested that delaying the onset of alcohol consumption among youth has a positive impact on health and social development. This study aims to review existing school surveys with regard to the availability of information which can influence policies, so as to guide future research. A wealth of cross-studies was found on harmful habits including alcohol use conducted among 18-year-old youths and under. Twenty-eight scientific articles and one report met the inclusion criteria and these were reviewed. A prevalence of lifetime drinking was found to range between 4.4% and 65.0%. This literature review emphasizes the importance of well-designed studies on alcohol consumption in this young age group. Temporal and spatial comparisons as well as individual and population level determinants of early-onset and harmful drinking should be explored in order to formulate effective policies for youths.